The Three-Color War

The civil war fought between influential patrician families and the Senate.

Originally it was an attempt formed by three families working in tandem, but when the original coup attempt failed, they fell upon each other.

Lasting for several centuries as old families fell and new ones chewed up the pieces and propped themselves up upon them. The senate tried desperately to reassert control, but once other families joined the fight it was out of their hands. They could only batten down the hatches and try to weather the storm.

After two centuries of death and destruction, the families tired themselves out and the Senate reentered the ring. With fresh armies and unstressed supply chains, they were able to meet the houses head-on and subjugate them one after the other. They did so well that the houses tried to unite again, but the attempt ended in abject failure.

Despite its victory in the war, the Senate hasn't been able to eliminate the divisions the war caused. Not totally. Patrician families regularly juggle for power, trying to strip the Senate of its authority. Luckily their own infighting and the dedicated members of the Senate have fowled those attempts so far.